​I don't make my home beautiful because I want to show off or attract eyes or comments. In fact, I often get uncomfortable when people gush over my home. The beauty I create within my walls, it has meaning, it has purpose, it is intentional. My home is a place where I desire for life to be given, hope to be formed, faith to be practiced, and love to be poured out. I desire for our home to be a place where my children long to be. I desire that for as long as I live, my children will come and find rest and peace and love within our walls. I long for it to be a place where they can taste the goodness of their Heavenly Father and receive rest from the world on their weariest of days. A few years ago I read The Life Giving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson. Their words gave form to the desires of my heart. They articulated exactly how I have always desired for my home to feel, and they so very much captured how I feel when I go to visit my in-laws.

It is a long and exhausting flight to make the trek across country to visit my in-laws {especially with two young children in tow}, but it is worth every second of travel to make it into their beautiful home. The beds are made with the most luxurious blankets, the towels are fluffy and weighty, and the fridge is stocked with all of our favorites. The surroundings are a perfect match of warmth and design, creating a cozy and life-giving atmosphere. Above all, it's what my my body does when I'm there that is most wonderful, it truly exhales. Relaxing is welcomed and encouraged, naps are a given, and quiet fills the walls. It is a respite. We feel served and loved and thought of. It's not about the beautiful design or the luxurious surroundings as much as it is about the rhythms of rest and peace that radiate throughout the walls. It's about feeling at home there within the walls, as well as within your own skin. It's as if at the center of it all you are invited to "come as you are", because that is exactly how you feel, welcomed to be your most authentic self.

I long for our home to feel this way to my husband, our children, and our guests. I long to welcome others in with open arms and a ready chair prepared for deep conversations and a glass of wine. Do I desire that my home is beautiful? Yes, I do. But it is for the sole purpose of welcoming others into our fold. I long to create a respite for those whose soul needs encouragement, joy, and hope. For those who need a home. ​I often hear comments of those longing to have a space that is a reflection of something they've seen on an episode of Fixer Upper. My creative eyes long to sit in those spaces right along with you, but what I've come to believe is that even those perfectly curated spaces can feel sterile and stiff without the proverbial hug that is fostered in a home that is full of depth and life, hope and love.

Your home doesn't need to be perfectly curated. Your home doesn't need to reflect a magazine cover. Your home needs simply to be an expression of you, a reflection of you, a space to welcome others into your life, and ultimately your heart. It is most important to remember that it's not about the decor as much as it's about the rhythms and feelings evoked through relationship and the cultivation of love within your walls. Sure decor can enhance your desired atmosphere, but above all, it's about creating a space that is a reflection of your heart towards those you welcome in. Be you, let others see you, and ultimately I believe your home will be a warm reflection of just that: your heart.

Having a place and time to rest, to be encouraged, and to find hope and healing is one of the most powerful gifts of a lifegiving home. - Sally Clarkson, The Lifegiving Home

What feelings would you like to evoke within the walls of your home for your family and guests? I would love to hear from you!

Mandy, I love this post! It is exactly how I feel about our home. Cozy comes to mine. As you know we downsized 2 years ago. It was tough. So many decisions to make, what to keep, what to find a new home for. Our new home is nothing like our last. We've become much more casual and "cozy" as I like to say. In the end we decided to bring things our children and grandkids loved. We no longer have all the stuff we had held onto for 40 plus years. I have the cozy beds, cozy towels, cozy nooks, and areas the grandkids love. It's not the house we raised our kids in but it's their home away from their home. No knocking, fridge always open, snack jars filled with their favorites, and naps are always welcome. Our home is wrapped in love.